Improvement in finger-bars for harvesters



H. L. HOPKINS.

FINGER-BARS FOR HARVESTERS.-

N0. 191,678. Patented June 5,1877.

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MPEI'ERS. PHOTO-L|THOGR/APHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

gitudinal section of the parts.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY L. HOPKINS, OF MANCHESTER, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN FINGER-BARS FOR HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 191,678, dated June 5,1877 application filed April 24, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARVEY L. HOPKINS, ofManchester, in the county of Delaware and State of Iowa, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Harvesters, of which the following is aclear and exact description:

The object of this invention is to so combine the knife-heel plate, theshoe, and the fingerbar that said plate will wedge in behind thefinger-bar, and thus not only prevent lateral motion of the finger-barin its seat in the shoe, but become itself so firmly wedged in positionthat it will always form a true bearing for the knife-l1eel, even incase the rivets or bolts by which it is secured become loose.

To this end my invention consists in forming a downwardly-projectingwedge-shaped .flange on the knife-heel plate, adapted to wedge inbetween the rear edge of the fingerbar and a shoulder on the shoe, thefinger-bar being, as usual, seated in a recess across the shoe.

In the annexed drawing, Figure 1 illustrates my invention inperspective. Fig. 2 is a lon- Fig. 3 is a perspective view of theknife-heel plate detached, and on a larger scale.

The same letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures.

The finger-bar A is seated in a recess across the shoe B. Ordinarily itfills this recess completely, and the knife-heel plate rests simply ontop of it under the coupling-bar O, by which the cutting apparatus isconnected to the frame of the harvester, so that said knifeheel platedepends solely on the bolts or rivets D for being held rigidly inposition. The constant jar and joltings of a harvester are apt to loosenthese bolts, when the knife-heel plate, becoming loosened inconsequence, is liable to bend on the knife-heel and jam it. To overcomethis difficulty, and at the same time to provide for an easy and tightfitting of the finger-bar in its seat, I form a downwardlyprojectingwedgeshaped flange, e, on the knife-heel plate E, which flange enters inbetween the rear edge of the finger-bar and the shoulder b on the shoe,the side of the shoulder facing the flange being made slanting inconformity with the slant of the flange. The knife-heel plate forms,together with the slot in the shoe, a guideway for the knife-heel, inthe usual manner, and the coupling-bar may be seated in a recess in theplate, as shown, or connected to the cutting apparatus in any one of theusual ways.

The parts should be so made that in fitting them together the flange eof the knife-heel plate will exert a wedging action on the finger-barbefore the flat surfaces of the plate and finger-bar come in contact.The knifeheel plate being thus wedged in position also provides for amost rigid and durable connection of the coupling-bar 0, when the latteris rigidly secured by receiving said coupling-bar in a recess, e, in itsupper side, whereby lateral displacement is guarded against.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The knife-heel plate, having a down wardly-projecting wedge-shapedflange, e, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, substantially as specified, of the shoe, thefinger-bar, and the knifeheel plate, having a wedge-shaped flange towedge in behind the edge of the finger-bar.

3. The combination, substantially as specified, of the shoe, thefinger-bar, the couplingbar, and the knife-heel plate, having a wedgeshaped flange to wedge in behind the rear edge of the finger-bar, and arecess in its upper side for the reception of the coupling-bar.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to the foregoingspecification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARVEY L. HOPKINS.

Witnesses MARTIN OoNNoLLY, CHAS. A. NEALE.

